Car-seat



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I Car Seat and Couch.

Patented Nov 2, 1858.

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Car Seat and Couch. No. 21,985. Patented Nov. 2, 1858,

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Car Seat and Couch.

No. 21,985. Patented Nov. 2, 1858.

AM- PH OTD'LITHOCQNX. (OSBURNE'S PROCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICEQ JOHN \V. SIBBET, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CAR-SEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,985, dated November 2, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN V. SIBBET, of Cincinnati, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Car-Seats for Enabling Them to be Converted into ComfortableSleeping-Couches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure 1, is a longitudinal section through a portion of the car withthe seats and their parts arranged to accommodate the passengers in asitting posture. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section through the passageway in the center of the car, showing an end view of the seats whenconverted into sleeping or reclining couches. Fig. 3, is a verticaltransverse section of the same at the line 1, 2, of Fig. 2. I

Similar letters in the figures refer to corresponding parts.

The nature of this invention and improvement consists in constructingevery alternate seat in the car in two parts, and providing the upperportions with certain means for elevating and sustaining them at anelevation between the horizontal plane upon which the permanent seatsare situated, and the roof of the car, and the said upper portions andthe lower permanent seats with cushioned canvass or other sacking clothand other attachments in such a manner as to enable the seats to beconverted into two tiers of double sleeping or reclining couches, andthus afford ample sleeping room for as many passengers as the seats arecapable of accommodating in a sitting posture.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

The seat frames A, A, are arranged in the same relation to each other asthe ordinary seats, when designed to be occupied in a sitting posture,and consist of uprights connected together by rectangular frames whichform boxes I), under the cushioned bottoms B, of the seats. The bottomsB, and upper or arm rest portion of every alternate seat is madedetachable and distinct from the box and under portion of the same, andthe backs C, (which are made reversible) of all the seats are jointed attheir ends, midway between their tops and bottoms, to the ends of armsor bars D, which have bolts E, at-

tached to their opposite ends, which bolts pass through irregular formedslots F, in the arm rest portion of the frames, the upper portions ofwhich slots are made in the form of the arm rest so as to enable theends of the same to serve as supports for headed bolts E, when the lowergrooved edges of the backs C, are brought against the round bars G, andshafts H, at the sides of the seat bottoms so as to enable the backs ofthe seats to be respectively sustained in an inclined position inrelation to the said seat bottoms, and in continuation of the same at anangle of about 5 degrees. The lower portions of the slot extend downwardand toward each other from near the ends of the upper portions so as toenable the angular body between them to form rests or supports for thesaid bolts E, when the backs C, are arranged in the proper position toaccommodate the passengers in a sitting posture as represented in Fig.1.

At the ends of the frames of the detachable and divided seats areerected vertical columns or posts 1, extending from the floor of the carto the roof or ceiling of the same, and having slots J, in their upperends next the roof or ceiling, in which are placed sheave pulleys, overwhich are passed bands K, secured together and extending beside eachother down the sides of the columns I, in the longitudinal passage waythrough the car, and respectively extending from the pulleys which theypass around downward 011 the opposite sides of the columns I, andsecured at their ends to bosses or hubs L, secured to the ends of theupper detachable portions of the said seats, and entirely surroundingthe columns or posts I, up and down which they slide and guide the upperportions of the seats in their upward and downward movement. Theopposite ends of these bands K, have loops or eyelets formed in them, bywhich they can be attached to bolts M, projecting from the lower ends ofthe columns or posts I, for sustaining the upper detachable portions A,of the seats when elevated, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3. A furthersupport may be afforded each of these detachable portions A, when thuselevated, by a horizontal rod or bar N, arranged immediately below thesame, one of whose ends passes through an opening in the side of one ofthe bosses or hubs L, next the side ofthe car and enters a slot, in thecolumn or post I, which it surrounds, while the opposite end is bentaround the boss or hub L, at the opposite end of the seat and made topass through an opening in the said hub L, next the passage way throughthe car, and through a slot in the column or post I, similar andopposite to the slot in the column or post next the side of the car,said ends of the rod or bar N, being held in the slots J, in the columnsor posts upon the lower ends of which they rest, by a spiral spring 0,surrounding said bar N, and retained and slightly compressed between ashoulder on the same and an eyebolt secured to the bottom of thedetachable portion A, through the eye of which the said bar or rod N,moves.

The ends of the shafts H, at the sides of the bottoms of the seats aresustained and turn in openings in the upright portions at the ends, andtheir ends next the longitudinal passage way through the car are madesquare so as to admit of the attachment of cranks for turning them. Toeach of these shafts are attached the ends of a series of short strapsP, attached at their opposite ends to the end of a piece of stuifed orcushioned cloth Q, canvas or other material capable of being packed awayin the box I), under the seat bottom when not used for the purpose oftheir design, all the said bottoms being detachable for this purpose,and having a series of hooks secured to its opposite end.

The pieces of stuffed or cushioned cloth Q, attached to the shafts H, ofthe upper detachable portions of the seats, when the same are elevated,are extended over the tops of the intermediate stationary seats and thehooks on their ends are attached to eye or ring bolts R, projecting fromthe bottom of the upper detachable and elevated portion of the seat,next in advance, while the remaining corresponding pieces of cushionedor stuffed cloth Q, of the portions of the permanent seats are drawnover the lower permanent portions of the seats having the detachableupper parts A, which serve as rests or supports for them and the hookson their ends are attached to eye or ring bolts S, projecting from thesides of the boxes of the permanent seats next in advance, and in thismanner the seats are enabled to be converted into comfortable doublesleeping couches situated upon horizontal planes at differentelevations, the backs of the several seats being thrown back andsustained at an elevation of about 5 degrees with the planes of the seatbottoms to effect this result.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

Constructing every alternate seat in two distinct parts, and providingthe upper detachable portions A, with guiding hubs L, at their ends towhich are attached straps or hands K, for elevating them, horizontalspring'bars N, whose ends enter slots J, in the guide columns or postsI, for sustaining them in conjunction with the straps or bands K, intheir elevated positions A, and combining with the said upper detachableportions A and the permanent seats A, pieces of cushioned or stuffedcloth Q, or other material capable of being packed in the boxes 6, ofthe seats, the whole being constructed, arranged, and operatedsubstantially as before described.

J OHN W. SIBBET.

Witnesses:

S. T. J. COLEMAN, L. A. HANIs.

